Police admit there are several small groups that are strictly hired to kill.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said this was due to the police’s find that weapons used in several shooting cases recently were of the same kind.

“Yes, I cannot deny that there are certain individuals who are paid to kill. There may be some small groups, about two to three people in a group. There are those and there are also groups that are linked to secret societies.

“I cannot divulge details but in several (shooting) cases, the same type of weapons are used, which is why we dare say there are elements of assassination in the killings,” he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the IPSC shooting competition at the General Operations Force Central Brigade Camp in Cheras here today.

READ: Man dies in brazen shooting in Setapak

He cited the recent shooting of a woman at Taman OUG here as an example.

“Among those arrested in the Taman OUG case were assassins. They were hired just to kill,” said Noor Rashid, adding that the assassins were made up of locals.

He said the police are now zooming in on the details of those involved in the recent killings to bring them to book.

He also affirmed that police were not giving special protection to gangs or secret societies.

"We look at this matter seriously. A secret society is a crime that must be tackled by all police officers.

"For now, there is no issue related to police officers protecting members of secret societies because they aware that it is against the law," Noor Rashid added.